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$50 smart board for your class or board room
Great for home, school or sales presentations. Excellent balance of skill and imagination.
I know what a great teaching tool an interactive board can be it would be great to get the kids in the class involved in helping set this up. A wii remote is so identifiable to kids, I could imagine some girl or boy getting really inspired by using this.
It is also a good way to show the boss how thrifty you are.
I would like to her from anyone who has used this. Tell current what you think. Great for home, school or sales presentations. Excellent balance of skill and imagination. ... more -
15 million antidepressant prescriptions written but Suicide rates have Doubled
CHILDREN SUICIDE LINK:
Last year 15 million antidepressant prescriptions written for children & teens but Suicide rates have Doubled for Children of 5-14 years old over the past 20 years!
Research Report Prescott, Ph.D. CHILDREN SUICIDE LINK: ... more -
Michael Moore on the drugging of our children SSRI Drug Dangers Columbine Video/Pe...
Watch the whole video you will be astounded.
US Government sent the FBI after a woman who was in Canada trying to keep her young son off of SSRI's
They had a warrent out for half a million $$$ for her arrest.
2 felonies 10 years each.
This could be you next.
Watch and weep with disgust then let's do something. I signed a petition and posted it below. We need to get our population extracted from these Pharmaceutical creeps. They have a tight hold on our thoughts and our souls our FDA and from the media. They have no souls.
Michael Moore obtained a copy of Dr. Tracy's book, "Prozac: Panacea or Pandora? - Our Serotonin Nightmare" at the premier of "Bowling for Columbine" in Denver, CO.
After learning more about these drugs, see his statement from the movie he recently appeared in with Dr. Tracy, Mark Taylor, Neal Bush, and others in the Gary Null production "The Drugging of our Children"
Watch the whole video you will be astounded. ... more -
How to beat the thieves
(Hopefully) The truth about bike crime and how to act on it.
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Jorge Cervantes Interview - The Cannabis Guru
Jorge Cervantes, the World’s leading expert on Cannabis cultivation, has watched and influenced an entire sub culture that sprang from a relatively unexplored science.
In 1983 he authored the first complete book about indoor cultivation which revolutionised the way gardeners produced medical Marijuana, with new and affordable technology emerging it was now possible for medicinal growers to utilise the same techniques used by the professionals.
An activist for anti-prohibition, Jorge holds a vast amount of information about the medical benefits of Marijuana, in particular a form of Cannabis known as “Sensimilla”, which has remarkable benefits for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) suffers.
He states: “Ninety-seven percent of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients who have tried marijuana report great relief from the spasms and tremors associated with the disease. The second-leading cause of blindness in the USA is Glaucoma, and approximately ninety percent of the sufferers using marijuana as medicine report that while standard medicines do not help them, smoking cannabis quickly restores their vision.
“Many long-term glaucoma patients have successfully maintained their sight using cannabis for twenty or twenty-five years and have avoided the gradual, painful deterioration to blindness that is otherwise inevitable.”
This leads to a much needed hard look at the legal status of Marijuana in most countries.
RINF Alternative News will be speaking to Jorge and would like to invite readers to take part and make your voice heard on this serious issue, no matter where you stand on the debate. The interview will lean towards the medical benefits, the law and what you can do to help end prohibition.
As Jorge is the World’s foreknowledge on Marijuana horticulture, we are also inviting a small forum of Amsterdam medical growers to take part so they can benefit from Jorge’s 30+ years of experience by asking questions about their own garden.
Please post your questions for Jorge Cervantes on the RINF forums.
http://forums.rinf.com/showthread.php?t=1234 Jorge Cervantes, the World’s leading expert on Cannabis cultivation, has watched and influenced an entire sub culture that sprang from... more -
Girls are just as good as Boys in Math
Girls are proving that when it comes to math they are just as tough as boys. In the largest study of its kind, girls measured up to boys in every grade, from second through 11th. The research was released Thursday in the journal Science.
Parents and teachers persist in thinking boys are simply better at math, said Janet Hyde, the University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher who led the study. And girls who grow up believing it wind up avoiding harder math classes.
"It keeps girls and women out of a lot of careers, particularly high-prestige, lucrative careers in science and technology," Hyde said. That's changing, though slowly.
For the class of 2007, the latest figures available, boys scored an average of 533 on the math section of the SAT, compared with 499 for girls.
Women are now earning 48 percent of undergraduate college degrees in math; they still lag far behind in physics and engineering. Girls are proving that when it comes to math they are just as tough as boys. In the largest study of its kind, girls measured up to bo... more -
Slovakia urged to end segregation of Romani children in the special school of Pavl...
“In grade 7 of the special school I learned the same things that I learned in grade 3 of the mainstream school.”
14-year-old Romani boy, found to have been erroneously placed in the special school
In Slovakia, huge numbers of Romani children are inappropriately placed in "special schools" for children with mental disabilities, where they receive a substandard education, and have very limited opportunities for employment and further education. Independent studies suggest that as many as 80 per cent of children placed in special schools in Slovakia are Roma.
Once children are assigned to special schools, the door leading back to mainstream education for children of average or above-average ability remains shut.
Pavlovce nad Uhom is a town in eastern Slovakia, 10km from the borders with Ukraine. More than 50 per cent of its 4,500 inhabitants are Roma. There are two elementary schools in the town: a mainstream school and a special school for children with mental disabilities.
Nearly two thirds of Romani children attending primary school in Pavlovce nad Uhom are de facto segregated in the special school. 99.5 per cent of the approximately 200 pupils of the special school are Roma.
Officially, children can only be placed in special schools after the formal diagnosis of a mental disability and only with the full consent of their parents. However, many children in Pavlovce nad Uhom had not been assessed at all and the assessment process itself was deeply flawed. At the same time parental consent was often neither free nor informed.
Following inspections instigated by the Mayor of the locality in 2007, it was officially acknowledged that 17 of these pupils did not belong in the special school and had been placed there erroneously. Amnesty International believes the real number is far higher and that more Romani children - whose rightful place is in the mainstream school - continue to be denied their right to education in Pavlovce nad Uhom.
The serious human rights violations in Pavlovce nad Uhom are not just the result of individual human errors, but of a broader failure to eliminate discrimination in both the design and the implementation of the Slovak education system.
Amnesty International calls on the Slovak authorities to recognise these failings and introduce the necessary structural reforms. In particular Amnesty International calls on the Director of the Regional School Authority of the Košice region – founder of and directly responsible for the special school in Pavlovce nad Uhom – to:
* Ensure that all placement decisions are reviewed and all children currently attending Pavlovce nad Uhom special school re-assessed in order to identify pupils who may have been placed there erroneously, and ensure their swift reintegration in the mainstream school as appropriate; in those cases the Regional School Authority should also provide an effective remedy, including reparations to the children affected;
* Take appropriate measures against state employees who are found to have acted in breach of Slovak law and at the expense of the education of Romani children in Pavlovce nad Uhom;
* Ensure that the enrolment of pupils is under no circumstances approved by the special school Take Actionunless they have been clearly, objectively and unambiguously diagnosed with mental disabilities; such diagnosis must precede the placement of the child; parental request or consent should not be the decisive factor for such a placement.
“In grade 7 of the special school I learned the same things that I learned in grade 3 of the mainstream school.” ... more -
Should religious schools get public money?
" A federal appeals court ruling that a Christian university in Colorado can receive state scholarship money is the latest in a string of legal victories for religious schools seeking public dollars.
The most recent case involved Colorado Christian University, a college of 2,000 students in suburban Denver where most students must attend chapel weekly and sign a promise to emulate the life of Jesus and Biblical teachings.
Colorado Christian faculty must sign a statement that that the Bible is the "infallible Word of God."
Students "attending institutions such as CCU who take their faith-based commitment seriously should have an equal opportunity to participate in Colorado's financial aid program," said Paul Cortis, president of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.
But critics called it the latest example of a worrisome trend.
"The bottom line is that taxpayers will now end up having to pay for religious indoctrination," said Barry Lynn, executive director of the group Americans United for Separation of Church and State. The law wasn't discrimination, but "a sensible judgment by Colorado that some colleges are so religious that they cannot expect taxpayers to support them."
The ruling cuts to a conundrum in the First Amendment, which prohibits the state from establishing any religion, but also prohibits religious discrimination. Religious colleges have argued their students shouldn't be deprived of a state benefit everyone else can get."
" A federal appeals court ruling that a Christian university in Colorado can receive state scholarship money is the latest in a string... more -
Kenya: Let 'Unteachable' Children Go Home And Grow Yams
A few years ago, we were all gathered in our parents' countryside home for the end of year holidays, and one day a heated argument broke out about the quality of education.
As a general agreement seemed to be emerging that education had gone to the dogs, our old woman, who had said nothing, got up, and as she walked to her kitchen, said: "You people are making too much of this education issue. Just let the children go and grow up in school."
I had never thought of school as a place which, if it didn't offer a meaningful education, was nevertheless a good one for rural children to go to and while away the time as they wait to become minor village officials, join the army, or become chicken thieves if all else failed.
In other words, the role of school had changed, and society needed to adjust its attitudes and expectations accordingly.
I was reminded of this question in the face of the recent spate of strikes in Kenya in which several schools have been torched, with a student being burnt to death in one.
The country is angry and shocked at the tools of sin - cocaine, bhang (Cannabis Hemp), alcohol, and "weapons" like petrol - that have been unearthed in searches at the troubled schools.
The Government has responded appropriately, banning mobile phones, TVs and DVDs from schools.
Yet one can't feel that we are all missing the big picture. It is criminal to burn property, and even more so, to kill someone with the fire. However, the schools' crisis and burning of buildings is not uniquely Kenyan.
In the last year or so, 25 schools have been burnt in Uganda. Dozens of students have died in the fires. A few of the schools were burnt by rogue students, but most by other miscreants.
The tragedy of the fires aside, you might say that the arsonists are devils carrying messages that are well worth listening to.
In Britain, though you don't have violent strikes and arson, the debate about education is even more furious.
Recently, Chris Parry, the controversial chief executive of the Independent Schools Council, an organisation that represents half of the 2,500 private schools in the UK, caused quite a storm when he told The Guardian that the reason state schools were in a crisis was because they were struggling with "unteachable" children, ignorant parents, staff who don't want to be there, and a shortage of leadership.
His remarks, though slated as "snobbish and ill-informed", deserve attention in East Africa. Parry said even private schools, which did better, needed to be more up-to-date and to face future challenges.
In this future, he said, computers will increasingly replace teachers. He predicted that grey dog-eared textbooks will soon be out, and pupils will learn via Wikipedia-type programmes in class.
The role of the teacher will be to help them apply the facts they build from the Internet.
Parry's most interesting idea is his most controversial; that some students are simply "unteachable". A few years ago, we were all gathered in our parents' countryside home for the end of year holidays, and one day a heated argument bro... more -
Texas Board of Education moves ahead on proposal to give high school athletes twic...
State Board of Education members agreed Thursday to move ahead on a proposed rule that would allow high school athletes to receive twice as much credit toward graduation as allowed under current state requirements.
The proposal – allowing four years of sports to count for credit instead of two – will be drafted as a new state rule and voted on by the board at its next meeting in September.
Although some board members voiced reservations about the idea, most who spoke on the issue Thursday expressed support for the rule, calling it a matter of fairness for thousands of student athletes in Texas high schools. State Board of Education members agreed Thursday to move ahead on a proposed rule that would allow high school athletes to receive twi... more -
Schools eye four-day week to cut fuel costs
Facing a crippling increase in fuel costs, some rural U.S. schools are mulling a solution born of the '70s oil crisis: a four-day week.
Cutting out one day of school has been the key to preserving educational programs and staff in parts of Kentucky, New Mexico and Minnesota, outweighing some parents' concerns about finding day-care for the day off.
"For rural school districts where buses may travel 100 miles round-trip each day, there certainly are transportation savings worth considering," said Marc Egan, the director of federal affairs at the National School Boards Association.
Egan said about 100 schools in as many as 16 states have already moved to a four-day school week, many to save money on transportation, heating and cooling.
Nevada's White Pine School District switched just one of its schools to a four-day week three years ago. Now, with energy costs soaring, four other schools in the district are following suit.
"We're looking at it district-wide with energy costs being at the forefront of the conversation," said Bob Dolezal, superintendent of Nevada's White Pine County School District, which is facing a 14 percent budget cut due to a shortfall in state funding.
MACCRAY Public Schools in Minnesota, which voted to switch to a four-day week in May, expects to shave 10 percent off transportation costs, which have risen unexpectedly in recent years as fuel costs have shot up.
"The savings for a four-day week just on the transportation alone were $65,000," said MACCRAY superintendent Greg Schmidt.
The plan initially did cause alarm among some parents, who were concerned about finding child-care, but most have managed to find place their kids in day care or with relatives, Schmidt said. In addition, MACCRAY plans to institute a child-care certification program for older students to offer day care for younger kids on the day off.
One of the pioneers of the four-day week, the Cimarron, New Mexico school district, is looking to cut energy costs by getting back to its roots.
Cimarron Public Schools moved a four-day week when energy prices shot up in the early 1970s, but has become more "complacent," letting the heating and cooling systems run even during the day off since the end of the OPEC oil embargo, Cimarron's superintendent James Gallegos said.
With soaring energy costs, that will no longer be the case: "As we start the next school year, it's going to be very minimal on the Fridays that we are off," Gallegos said.
Webster County School District in Kentucky switched to a four-day week four years ago under economic duress -- a state budget crisis left the school in limbo, leaving the district with the option of dropping school days or cutting staff and programs.
The district ended up saving tens of thousands of dollars in fuel and energy costs, helping to cut total costs by 3.5 to 4 percent, said James Kemp, the superintendent of the Webster County School District.
The shortened week at Webster also brought unexpected benefits such as improved attendance and a boost in student performance.
"If we were to go back to a five-day week, the school board and I would be run out of town," Kemp said. Facing a crippling increase in fuel costs, some rural U.S. schools are mulling a solution born of the '70s oil crisis: a four-day week... more -
With no frills or tuition, a college draws notice - NYTimes.com
If only there were more colleges in the US like Berea that don't charge tuition and target low-income families.
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New website to help deaf children
A new website is being launched which is aimed at helping deaf children improve their literacy skills.
The site, called Signed Stories, is being developed by Gateshead-based ITV Signpost after statistics from the National Deaf Society revealed the disparity between the GCSE results of deaf and hearing children, reports The Journal.
Just 33 per cent of deaf children achieve five GCSE A-C grades compared with 60 per cent of hearing children, which ITV Signpost managing director Malcolm Wright describes as 'scandalous'.
A total of 100 contemporary children's books will be put online in British Sign Language and will feature animation, text and audio recorded by the likes of Jonny Wilkinson, with 200 more to be added by 2011.
'The world that these children live in is dominated by the English language and it can take a long time for parents to learn sign language and interact with their children,' said Mr Wright.
'Hopefully our site will help combat this and give deaf children a boost with their literacy skills.'
ITV Signpost is the UK's largest provider of on-screen British Sign Language and provides services for every platform, including television, DVD and the internet.
The company is part of ITV A new website is being launched which is aimed at helping deaf children improve their literacy skills. ... more -
Making the Grade - Episode 2
Executive producers Nathan "Seven" Scott and Derron Cook present Making the Grade. This South African made reality show showcases a group of students lead by life coach Nathan "Seven" Scott as they tackle reciting the Nelson Mandela 1994 Inaugural speech. Find out which student mastered the speech and won a trip that will change his life forever! Executive producers Nathan "Seven" Scott and Derron Cook present Making the Grade. This South African made reality show showcases a g... more
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Winter Drumline
Take an easy road to victory? Or, sacrifice time and energy on music so difficult a medal worthy performance is potentially out of reach? In "Winter Drumline", high school drummers and their instructor reflect on the pros and cons of setting the bar high. With mesmerizing drumming and dance movement, "Winter Drumline" explores the importance of truly challenging our youth. Take an easy road to victory? Or, sacrifice time and energy on music so difficult a medal worthy performance is potentially out of re... more
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Is sharing old college exams ethical?
Many professors are upset about this tool. It seems like the internet is simply aiding cheaters to do what they do best.
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Making the Grade - Episode 1
Executive producers Nathan "Seven" Scott and Derron Cook present Making the Grade. This South African made reality show showcases a group of students lead by life coach Nathan "Seven" Scott as they tackle reciting the Nelson Mandela 1994 Inaugural speech. Find out which student mastered the speech and won a trip that will change his life forever! Executive producers Nathan "Seven" Scott and Derron Cook present Making the Grade. This South African made reality show showcases a g... more
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School district bars teacher-student texting
A new school district policy in southern Mississippi prohibits teachers from texting or communicating with students through Internet social network sites such as MySpace.
The Lamar County school board approved the policy earlier this month after becoming concerned that casual contact between teachers and students would be unprofessional.
"The only intent is to limit the personal communication between teachers and students," Superintendent Ben Burnett told The Hattiesburg American newspaper. "We don't need to let it cross the line between professional and personal communication."
Burnett said the policy won't keep teachers or students from creating profiles on sites such as MySpace or Facebook, which allow users to share personal information and communicate over the Web.
"This just keeps them from communicating socially through those kinds of means," Burnett said.
No incident led to the policy, which was enacted at the suggestion of the school board attorney. The board has yet to set penalties for violating the policy. A new school district policy in southern Mississippi prohibits teachers from texting or communicating with students through Internet s... more -
Study: School failure harder on girls than boys
Academic failure appears to trouble teen-age girls more deeply than boys, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.
They said adolescent girls who are expelled, suspended or drop out of high school before they graduate are more likely to have a serious bout of depression by age 21 than boys with similar experiences.
"For girls there are broader implications of school failure," said Carolyn McCarty, a University of Washington researcher whose study appears in the Journal of Adolescent Health. "We already know that it leads to more poverty, higher rates of being on public assistance and lower rates of job stability. And now this study shows it is having mental health implications for girls," McCarty said in a statement.
The study was drawn from data on more than 800 people in Seattle, Washington, and included people from 18 schools in high-crime neighborhoods. Overall, 45 percent of the girls and 68 percent of the boys in the study experienced a major school failure, but 22 percent of the girls later became depressed compared with 17 percent for the boys.
"This gender paradox shows that while school failure is more atypical for girls, it appears to have more severe consequences when it does occur," McCarty said.
(Excerpts / Reuters) Academic failure appears to trouble teen-age girls more deeply than boys, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday. ... more -
Amanda Peet and vaccinations
Never really thought about harmful side effects to vaccinations....
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